Samson Ebukam is the Perfect Complement to DeForest Buckner: Film Room
The Indianapolis Colts are making some splashes in this free agency period. The usually frugal Chris Ballard is going on a spending spree in the legal tampering period, agreeing to a three year 27 million dollar deal with edge rusher Samson Ebukam (formerly of the San Francisco 49ers).
Ebukam, 27, is coming off of a career-best season in 2022. He totaled six sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 35 hurries on the season for the 49ers according to Pro Football Focus. Ebukam's 35 hurries would have led the Colts' team a year ago.
While Ebukam is far from an elite player, he is a technically sound pass rusher that impacts the game in many ways. Today, I dive into this new pass rusher's game to see exactly what the Colts are getting.
High Energy Player
Ebukam is the type of pass rusher that plays every single snap at 100 miles per hour. This is a breath of fresh air for a team that just deployed a pass rusher that constantly took snaps off and struggled to find snap to snap consistency. With Ebukam, what you see is what you get.
He may not be an elite, bendy pass rusher that can turn the corner like Von Miller, but he is going to get after it on every snap. This play below illustrates that well. Ebukam fights through the chip on the outside and still works his way to the interior. Once the offensive tackle in front of him tumbles to the ground, he redirects and chases down the quarterback to force the incomplete pass.
Players like Ebukam are perfect for schemes that like to utilize stunts and twists (aka Gus Bradley's scheme in Indy). He doesn't mind being used as a bowling ball to the interior to free up his teammates, and he has the athleticism to still redirect and create pressure.
Ebukam is the first in on this TEX stunt below and perfectly takes the guard away from the defensive tackle. Once he completes his assignment on the stunt, he turns up field and registers a big hit on the opposing quarterback.
Ebukam is the type of pass rusher that will always impact the play in some form. He was one of the best edge pass rushers in football when facing double teams/chips last season. He excels in this area simply because of his effort and tenacity.
On a team that has an elite interior presence like DeForest Buckner, a player like Ebukam is insanely valuable:
Flashes of Top Level Ability
Ebukam's energy level on every snap is extremely impressive, but he is far from a slouch in the talent department. He ran a 4.5 forty yard dash and jumped 39 inches as a draft prospect back in 2017, so there is some insane athletic potential in his game.
It may not always show on film, but Ebukam has the traits and the ability to be a big time pass rusher in the NFL. This clip against Washington showcases the type of bend that he possesses. It is a blitz call so he gets a favorable match-up, but look at how Ebukam turns the corner on this play. This is really impressive stuff!
In week three against the Denver Broncos, Ebukam had several high quality rushes against Garett Bolles on the left side. Bolles may not be an elite left tackle, but he's a former Pro Bowler that can certainly be a tough match-up.
Ebukam made easy work of him in these two clips below:
Ebukam's flashes remind me so much of Denico Autry back in 2018. Obviously these two players play a different position, but in terms of untapped potential. The Colts seem to be grabbing a player on the verge of breaking out with this signing.
Samson Ebukam, at worst, is a high energy pass rusher that knows how to hit his landmarks and collapse the pocket. At his best, he is a potential breakout pass rusher that will put it all together playing alongside a top tier defensive tackle in 2023.
The Bottom Line
Samson Ebukam, in a lot of ways, is the complete opposite of Yannick Ngakoue. He is a reliable, high energy player that creates a lot of pressure even if it doesn't lead to sacks for his personal count. On top of that, Ebukam is also a solid run defender, which can't be said about the Colts' former LEO from this past season.
Overall, I am a big fan of this move for the Indianapolis Colts. Even if Ebukam just remains the same player he is today for the duration of this deal, the team is getting a quality player off of the edge. The bonus would be if Ebukam continues his upward trajectory. If that happens, then the Colts may have finally found their edge rusher to pair with DeForest Buckner.
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